Reference:10044000
Contract type: Temporary
City:Leuven, 00000, Belgium
Education: Doctorate
Minimum experience: 5-7 years
Contract duration: 24 months

Company:

Total est l'une des premières compagnies pétrolières internationales, acteur mondial du gaz, de la pétrochimie et demain, de la biomasse et de l'énergie solaire. Rassemblant près de 100 000 collaborateurs dans plus de 130 pays, le Groupe met en œuvre son savoir-faire technologique pour contribuer à satisfaire la demande énergétique mondiale présente et future.

Position:

TOTAL is one of the largest energy companies in the world, with over 96,000 employees and activities in more than 130 countries. Within the company, TOTAL New Energies is dedicated entirely to the commercial development of alternative energies (Solar PV, concentrated solar power, advanced biofuels). TOTAL New Energies pursues differentiation through technology as the first step towards building competitive integrated industrial operations in these renewable energies.

The ambition of TOTAL New Energies is to become the global leader in the solar industry. The company has been involved in photovoltaic energy research since 1983, and leverages an original networked innovation model in order to develop technologies that will make a real difference in the near or mid-term future. The network includes a number of partnerships with leading academic labs and start-ups, such as the Belgium based Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (Imec), renowned for its cutting edge research in microelectronics and photovoltaics. In each partnership, researchers at the partner institution and TOTAL scientists jointly design and carry out the research efforts.

Mission and responsibilities

Within Imec, TOTAL New Energies has set up a joint team of scientists specialized in advanced crystalline silicon (c-Si) photovoltaic technology. The team conducts innovative research on next generation high efficiency c-Si solar cells to further improve efficiency and reduce the cost of solar panels. The results developed by the team are used by TOTAL New Energies' most important industrial asset in solar energy, the California based SunPower Corp., renowned for developing the world's most efficient and reliable solar panels.

For this R&D team, TOTAL New Energies is seeking a Scientist who will contribute to developing our expertise in new doping and metallization processes for next generation photovoltaic Si solar cells. The candidate's research will focus on the development of innovative processes for local doping of Si wafers and metallization of thin Si wafers for the next generation Si solar cells. His/her objective will be to implement those new processes into the thin Si wafer solar cell process flow. The candidate's research will be part of the long term research projects of TOTAL New Energies, and it will contribute to the design of the technology roadmap of TOTAL R&D and its affiliates, in particular SunPower.

The principal responsibilities of the Scientist will be to:

• Participate in the elaboration of design of experiments and in the identification of critical processes for solar cells and modules integration.
• Design and perform experiments related to:
• Developing local doping methods for Si substrates.
• Investigating innovative metallization processes for thin Si-based photovoltaic devices and for module interconnections.
• Elaborating suitable characterization protocols to optimize processing steps and evaluate performance of devices (cells and mini-modules).
• Contribute to research activities related to various collaborative projects (between Imec and TOTAL), focusing on thin c-Si technology.
• Propose innovative ideas and concepts in order to support the definition of the next generation Si solar cells technology roadmap.

The candidate will benefit from a highly dynamic and inspiring international R&D environment. He/she will be trusted with a large extend of autonomy, while being part of a team of outstanding scientists, and of TOTAL, a company where ?Developing complementary next generation energy activities? is a strategic priority.

Profile:

PhD degree in electrical engineering, microelectronics, semiconductor physics, materials science, or a similar field.

Experience

• At least 5 years of experience in microelectronics, and/or PCB industry, and/or photovoltaics (including PhD experience).
• Knowledge of semiconductor physics and microelectronic devices.
• Experience in Si doping and/or semiconductor metallization processes.
• Knowledge of current solar cell technologies would be appreciated, but is not required.
• Capacity to collaborate with external partners and students.
• Track-record of original research and publications presented in prestigious international conferences and scientific journals.
• Fluency in English, spoken and written.

Skills

• Analytical skills.
• Capacity to think out of the box and find innovative solutions.
• Willingness to be confronted with new challenges and discover various new fields of research.
• Self-starter
• Team work attitude and capacities.
• Motivation for experimental work.